A problem with shoe laces or any types of laces which are used to tie ends of materials together is that they may often become undone requiring the shoe wearer to stop whatever activity he or she is embarked on and to retie the shoelaces. With children in their play activities this places a certain burden on their parents and other adults around them, in sports activities it can actually stop play altogether or require a player to be removed from the game until his shoelaces are properly tied. In other sports loose or untied shoelaces may cause the athlete to lose his concentration and adversely affect performance.
Although devices have existed previously to prevent shoelaces from becoming untied, they have suffered from a number of problems which has detracted from their acceptance by the general public. These devices are often cumbersome, extremely complicated and costly. Because of the time it takes to secure the device to the shoe and the laces it is simply not worth the effort. Furthermore, the device may not be configured to remain on the shoe when the shoes are untied for storage or other nonuse, requiring special storage effort to prevent loss. In addition, many resuable devices are simply so cumbersome they are unacceptable in the market place regardless of their utility.
Although disposable devices have become available, some users simply prefer to have a reusable device, because it may be more economical, more appealing to the eye and generally more acceptable in the market place.
The invention described herein overcomes many of the problems discussed above. The invention relates generally to a reusable device designed to work on all shoelaces and of any type of material. Preferably the device is one which can work on all different types of shoes whether they have eyelets or not and can remain on the shoes even after laces are untied, providing a convenient method of retaining the device on the shoes for reuse.
The device is relatively thin in design creating a low profile which is generally acceptable to the consuming public. Portions of the device grasp the shoelace once tied so that the lace knot is clearly exposed for view. Elastic material on the device grasps the knot from the sides and holds the shoelaces in place adjacent to the knot to prevent the knot and shoelaces from becoming untied. The device can be described as having two portions, a body portion and an eyelet member. The body portion of the device is designed to receive a medallion which enhances display of advertising or other artistic material. The body portion also serves to cooperate with the elastic band to create a torque causing the medallion to be pulled flat against the shoe and thus making it cosmetically pleasing to the purchasing public.
The manner in which this tension is created is by way of the elastic band being attached to the front of the body portion of the device directly beneath the medallion cover. In addition, the elastic band extends through an elastic band hole in the eyelet member, the latter being displaced from the body portion. When the elastic is pulled through the band hole, over the knot and over the body portion, it retracts about a neck portion separating the eyelet member and the body portion to secure the knot.